Bridge takes shape: North span float-in goes smoothly

PORTSMOUTH — The Piscataqua River landscape is becoming more familiar as each piece of the new Memorial Bridge is placed into its new position.

The north span float-in went as smoothly as that of the south span did last month, with no major complications and much cooperation from the weather.

Everything went according to plan with the 1 a.m. float-in, according to Archer Western Contractors spokeswoman Carol Morris.

“It went as perfectly as such things can go,” she said Wednesday evening.

Around 2 p.m. Wednesday, the Cape Cod Barge that has been a familiar vessel throughout the reconstruction project with a combined total now of five float-outs and float-ins, was returned upriver to the state pier with the help of tug boats.

That has been and will continue to be the site ironworkers construct each span of the new Memorial Bridge.

Morris said work on the center lift span will begin immediately right there on the barge.

A handful of onlookers gathered in awe and anticipation near the Badger's Island Marina as the north span was maneuvered into position during slack tide very early Wednesday morning.

The 300-foot span had traveled down river earlier Tuesday afternoon and was secured at the Port of New Hampshire until just before 1 a.m. Wednesday when the river's tide was favorable to conduct the actual float-in.

Just as last year's removal of the north, south, and center spans drew crowds of spectators to witness historic moments of the Memorial Bridge project, a number of local residents turned out for Wednesday morning's event despite the early hour.

“I haven't missed one yet,” Lorina Jenkins, of Eliot, Maine, said about the float-ins and float-outs that have been part of the demolition and reconstruction of the 90-year-old structure. She watched from a pier on the Kittery side of the bridge holding her smartphone out to record the event.

Workers from the stationary Kittery approach could be heard cheering on ironworkers riding in on the span and barge, all about to start the process of securing the span to the approach.

As the span moved closer to its destination in the dark, the sound of whistles from the two tug boats answering back and forth to one another signaled its arrival.

Weather, which plays a crucial role to how efficiently these float-ins can go, was chilly but comparatively mild Wednesday morning with temperatures in the mid 30s.

“This is just something really cool that probably won't happen again in my lifetime,” Esther Rinald, of Kittery, said.

Local law enforcement and firefighters appeared on the pier taking a few minutes to watch as the giant steel span moved closer to the approach.

Snapping as many photographs of the float-in as possible, Eric Nailward, of York, said he thought seeing the span that would connect directly at the Maine side of the river was important.

“This is literally a piece that connects all of our communities,” he said.

Intrigued by bridges in general, he said this project in particular has been really fun to watch.

“You never know what's going to go right or wrong when they move these pieces. So far so good with this one,” he said.

With a camera around his neck, Eliot resident Bill Patterson attended the float-in with his wife, Jane. He recalled watching last February as the center span was removed and floated out from the bridge on what was a very cold and long night.

They haven't missed an event of the reconstruction project, either, he said.

“Just because it's really interesting to watch what they're doing,” he said, fascinated with how effortless some of the moments appear.

“They just move it around like it's no big thing,” he said about the spans.

Whether the center lift span will be more or less difficult to position bringing it in between the north and souths spans now secured into place, is unknown at this time, Morris said. She did say the process of the float-in would be a little bit different.

Further details on how that event, expected to happen sometime in June, will be conducted will be announced over the next couple weeks, she said.